Control for airplanes



Nov. 19, 1940. A. E. NEWMAN ETAL 2,222,204

CONTROL FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l BNVENTORAmmu- E. NEWMAN 8 30mm mm. Fmmms EBY ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1940. A. E.NEWMAN ETAL CONTROL FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2RNVENTOR ALBERT E. NEWMAN @mm Fmwcls & JOHN FIG. 3

. slsneaeiivlauali- .nialniialifl w 2 l 3 l r I ATTORNEY PatentedNov.'19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,222,204 CONTROL roa nmPLANEs Albert E.Newman and John Carl Francis, Akron, Ohio Application September 6, 1938,Serial .No. 228,507

6 Claims.

,This invention relates to control mechanism forairplanes.

Heretofore, the airplanes have been provide with two or more controlsfor manipulating the three major control surfaces thereof, one or moreof these control surfaces usually being manipulated by hand i'neans andat least one control surface, such as the rudder, being manipulated by Ifoot control. This arrangement has never been entirely satisfactorybecause many people lack coordination between the hands and feet and forthat'reason find it either difficult orimpossibie to fly an airplane.This multiple control system has been found to be particularly awkward,if not dangerous, when for example the plane is being grounded and thefeet are required to be shifted from the foot controls to the brakepedals.

One object of this invention is to provide a single control forairplanes by means of which at I0 least the three major controlsurfaces, namely the ailerons, elevators, and rudder, may be manipulatedindividually'or two or more simultaneously. Another object of theinvention is to provide mechanism of the character described by means 85of which the major control surfaces of an airplane may be manipulatedwithout requiring coordination between hands and feet.

A further object of the invention is to provide" a more simple, compactand economical structure. 80 The foregoing and other objects-of theinvention are attained in-tlie control mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and described below. It is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to the specific form there- 86 of shown anddescribed.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of an airplanehaving the improved control mechanism therein. I

Figure 2 is a .side elevation thereof, partly In broken away.

Figure 3 is a rear view of a control unit embodying the invention,partly broken away and in section. a 4

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of themechanism shown in Figure 3. I

Referring to the designates an airplane having the usual controlsurfaces thereon, of which II, II are the ailerons l2, l2,the elevators,and I3 the rudder.v Suitably located in the cock pit of airplane I0 is acontrol indicated generally at I4.

As best shown in, Figures 3 and '4, an upright 001111111115, which ispreferably a hollow tube, is

as provided intermediate its ends withtransversely drawings, the numeral10.

to the upper horns 24, 24 on the elevators I2, the 10 arrangement beingsuch that the elevators may be swung about their hinges l2, l2 byrocking the column l5 on trunnions l6.

Extending co-axially through the hollow column I5 in spaced relation tothe interior sur- 15 face thereof may be a shaft 25, held-againstendwise movement by having a bracket 25 secured to its lower end and bya control head 21 secured to its upper end, the shaft being-journalledin a suit- 1 able bearing 28 at its upper end, and bearings 29 and 30 atits lower end. Bracket 26 preferably has a pair of arms 3|, 3| whichextend upwardly and. outwardly, free of supporting brackets ll, toprovide swivel connections 32, 32 substantially on the axial center lineof the trunnions I6. From the swivel connections 32, a pair of cables 3232 may extend rearwar'dly to outwardly extending horns 33, 33 on rudder13. For turning the shaft 25 to manipulate the rudder l3 on hinges I3con-' trol head 21 is provided with uprights 21 21 through which mayextend a shaft 34, journalled in bearings 35, 35 in the uprights, oneend of shaft 34 being extended rearwardly to have secured thereto asuitable hand-wheel 36. Through hand-wheel 36 movements of force may beap- 35 plied about the axis of column l5 to turn shaft 25 within thecolumn and thereby swing the pivot .points 32 about the axis of thecolumn, always in a plane at right anglesto the axis of the column andcoincident with the axis of trunnions l6. By this means the rudder l3may readily be manipulated at any angle of column l5, and may bemanipulated simultaneously with the rocking movement of the column l5for manipulating the elevators l2. 5

'For controlling the ailerons II on hinges H, I l there may be fixed onshaft 34 a sprocket 31 over which is trained achain 38, the two ends ofwhich, guided by idler sprockets 39, 39, extend through openings 40 incontrol head 21 and downwardly between column I! and shaft 25. The ends38, 38' of the chain 38 are connectedto cables 4|, M which, guided byidler pulleys 42 within the trun ,nions I6 and suitably arranged pulleys43, 43

within the wing structure of the plane, extend trol arrangementshown-and described turning hand-wheel 36 counter-clockwise or clockwisemanipulates the ailerons in opposing relation to bank the plane to theleft or to the right, respectively.

In the mechanism shown and briefly described there has been provided asingle control unit manually operable to manipulate at least the threemajor control surfaces of an airplane, each individual control beingoperable either independently, or simultaneously with each or all of theothers, at all times. With such a control the operator may have his feetfree and in a restful position while the airplane is being flown and thefeet are always available for applying pressure to the brake pedals whenthe plane is being grounded. Thus has been provided a control unitrequiring no coordination between the hands and feet and making forgreater safety, simplicity, compactness, and economy of structure.

It is understood that the cables between the control unit and thevarious control surfaces may be connected in numerous ways.Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft,comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unitincluding a hollow member and'a member rotatably mounted in said hollowmember to rotate about an axis passing through said pivot, onecontrolsurface adjusting means connected to said hollow member to swingin said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surfaceadjusting means connected to said rotatable member and operable therebyin planes passing through said pivot in all positions of the shiftableunit, shiftable means mounted on said rotatable member of said unit, anda third controlsurface adjusting means connected to said shiftablemeans, said third adjusting means including flexible elements and meansfor guiding said flexible elements from said unit at the pivot on whichthe unit shifts in all positions of the unit.

2. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft,comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unitinclud-, ing a hollow member and a member rotatably mounted in saidhollow member to rotate-about an axis passing through said pivot, onecontrolsurface adjusting means connected to said hollow member to swingin said plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surfaceadjusting means connected to said rotatable member and operable therebyin planes passing through said pivot in all positions of the shiftableunit, shiftable means mounted on said rotatable member of said unit, anda third control-surface adjusting means connected to said shiftablemeans and including flexible elements extending from said unit at thepivot on which the unit shifts in all positions of the unit, saidshiftable means having a manually engageable grip thereon whereby saidfirst, second, and third adjusting means are operable eitherindependently or simultaneously with each other.

3. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft,comprising a support, a unit including a housing pivoted on said supportand a shaft mounted in said housing in spaced relation thereto to rotateabout an axis passing through said pivot, said unit thereby beingshiftable in one plane about said pivot, one controlsurface adjustingmeans connected to said housing to swing in said plane about said pivotwith said unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected tosaid rotatable shaft and operable thereby in planes passing through saidpivot in all positions of said unit, shiftable means mounted on saidrotatable shaft, and a third control-surface adjusting means connectedto said shiftable means and including flexible elements extending in thespace between said housing and said rotatable shaft, said flexibleelements extending from said unit at the pivot on which the unit shiftsin all positions of the unit.

4. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft,comprising a support, a unit including a housing pivoted onsaid supportand a shaft mounted in said housing in spaced relation thereto to rotateabout an axis passing through said pivot, said unit thereby being shiftable in one plane about said pivot, one controlsurface adjusting meansconnected to said housing to swing in said plane about said pivot withsaid unit, a second control-surface adjusting means connected to saidrotatable shaft and operable thereby in planes passing through saidpivot in all positions of said unit, shiftable means.

mounted on said rotatable shaft, and a third control-surface adjustingmeans connected to said shiftable means and including flexible elementsextending in the space between said housing and said rotatable shaft,said flexible elements extending from said unit at the pivot on whichthe unit shifts in all positions of the unit, said shiftable meanshaving a manually engage able grip thereon whereby said first, second,and third adjusting means are operable either independently orsimultaneously with each other.

5. A control device for adjusting the control surfaces of aircraft,comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unitincluding a housing and a shaft mounted in said housing in spacedrelation thereto to rotate about an axis passing through said pivot, onecontrol-surface adjustingv means connected to said housing to swing insaid plane about said pivot with said unit, a second control-surfaceadjusting means connected to said rotary member and operable thereby inplanes passing through said pivot in all positions of the shiftableunit, rotatable means mounted on the rotatable member of said unit, anda third controlsurface adjusting means connected to said rotatable meansand operable by rotation of said rotatable means, said third adjustingmeans including flexible elements extending in the space between saidhousing and said shaft and extending from said unit at the pivot onwhich the unit shifts in all positions of the unit, said rotatable meanshaving a manually engageable grip associated therewith whereby saidfirst, second and third adjusting means are operable eitherindependently or simultaneously with each other.

6. A control device for adjusting the control surfacesof aircraft,comprising a unit shiftable in one plane about a fixed pivot, said unitin- 7 eluding two eo-axially'extendins members one of which isrelatively rotatable with respect to the other about an axis passingthrough said pivot, one of said members comprising a housing and theother comprising a shaft mounted in spaced relationwithin the housing,one controlsurface adjusting means connected to said nonrotatable memberto swing in said plane about said pivot with said unit, a secondcontrol-suriaee adjusting means connected to said rotary member andoperable thereby in planes passing thmush said pivot in all positions 0!the shiftable unit, shiitable means. mounted on the rotatable member 01said unit, and a. third controlsurtaoe adjusting means connected to saidshittable means, said third adjusting means including flexible elementsextending in the space hetween said members, and means for guiding the"ALBERT n. NEWMAN.

some CARL msncrs.

